Visually Enticed

Maybe I'm behind, but I just discovered this song today. Miike Snow has brought a beautifully harrowing sound to our ears backed by beautiful footage of India (I believe it's Varanasi). Hope you all enjoy this song and video as much as I do. Cheers!

Brasil

I recently returned to Buenos Aires from a 9 day trip to Rio de Janeiro, quite possibly the most amazing city I have ever set foot in. There is a lot that makes Brazil a special place, but to me I think it's the music that takes the cake. Speaking of cake, the girls ain't so bad either, but that's another story. From Favela funk to Samba to Reggae to Hip Hop (hippy hoppy) to Rock, music is the lifeblood of the country. I am posting here some of my favorite tracks that showcase the aural diversity of this breathtaking land.

Seu Jorge-Carolina.mp3 (Folk Rock)
O Rappa-Monstro Invisível.mp3 (Rock/Reggae)
Antonio Pinto-Vietnam a Brasileira.mp3 (Hip Hop)
Zuco 103-Outro Lado.mp3 (Electronica/Lounge)
Zeca Pagodinho-Deixa a Vida Me Levar.mp3 (Samba)
Olodum-Batucada.mp3 (Typical Carnaval Bateria from Bahia state)
Mc Pé de Pano-Abre as Pernas e Relaxa.mp3 (Funk)

Chicago Pregame and post review

I've been in Ann Arbor for the last few weeks, so posts have been sparse. I'm heading to Chicago, so here is my essential pre-game track for the weekend:

• Classixx - I'll Get You (320 kps)

Also, to compensate for lack of posts, here is a review of my favorite tracks I've posted at Lyrical Smelter over the last month.

In tribute to Mr. Jackson, this is a superb remix:

• Jackson Five - I Want You Back (Z-Trip Remix)

Another Vampire Weekend collaboration, this time with a European production team and African songwriter:

• The Very Best - Warm Heart of Africa (feat. Ezra Koenig)

Zoot Woman dropped a great cover my favorite Craig David song, which has a hilarious video (YouTube below):

• Zoot Woman - Seven Days (Craig David Cover)

Os Tribalistas - Ja Sei Namorar

Leave it to Brazil to produce probably the most feel good song ever created. I am leaving for Rio in a week for a photo project, and was planning on waiting until after I got back to do a post on amazing Brazilian music, but when I heard this song I couldn't resist posting it. It will put a smile on your face. Here's the video as well....



Os Tribalistas - Ja Sei Namorar.mp3

They Say the Bay Helped Create the Funk....

A few years back as I was perusing a small record store in Eugene, Oregon, I came across an amazing compilation that still does not get old. An anthro-musicologist from San Francisco embarked on an amazing journey that led him to put out two volumes of previously unreleased funk music from various parts of the Bay Area. Most of the tracks were recorded in the heyday of the Black Panthers in Oakland in the '60's in clubs and dancehalls from San Francisco to Richmond and most of the bands were merely house bands who never put out records of their own. Here are the full track listings of both albums, keep the funk alive!

Disc 1:

Git Back - Sugar Pie Desanto .mp3
Foxy Girls in Oakland - Rodger Collins .mp3
Pickin' Cotton - Johnny Talbot & tha Thangs .mp3
Find Yourself Pt. 1 - Marvin Holmes .mp3
Check Me Out - Little Denice .mp3
What It Is Pt. 1 & 2 - Apollis .mp3
Trippin on the Sounds - Jeanie Tracy .mp3
The Trip - Eugene Blacknell & The New Breed .mp3
Funky Driver On A Funky Bus Pt. 1 - Charles Leonard .mp3
Sad Song - Unforgettables .mp3
Herm - San Francisco T.K.O.'s .mp3
Break it Loose - Onyx .mp3
Fantasy Pt. 1 & 2 - PI-R-Square .mp3
Too Much Trouble - Unforgettables .mp3
Oomph - Marvin Holmes And The Uptights .mp3
The Feeling - Wylie Trass .mp3

Disc 2:

Born to Live with Heartache - Mary Love .mp3
Move in the Room - Dawn and Sunset .mp3
Ebony - Project Soul .mp3
Plenty Action - Soft Touch .mp3
Straighten it out With Yo Man - Sugar Pie DeSanto .mp3
Acid Lady - San Francisco T.K.O's .mp3
Si Se Puede - Ray Camacho Band .mp3
Poor Sad Child - Windjammer .mp3
Goin' Home - Faye Marshall .mp3
Hip Breakin' - Little Denise Stevenson .mp3
Stop Look Listen! - Primevil .mp3
Creole Girl - Victor Green .mp3
Devil's on the Run - Uptights Band .mp3
Lenient with my Love - The Relatives .mp3
Brute Strength - Mike Selesia .mp3

Vampire Weekend + Auto Tuner = R&B Awesomeness

Don't be shocked. Discovery, the new project from Vampire Weekend’s Rostam Batmanglij (with a cameo from fellow mate Ezra Koenig) and Ra Ra Riot’s Wes Miles, attempts to revitalize the stagnant pool of contemporary American R&B with Euro-electronic pop hooks and coy use of the Auto Tuner post-mortis. “Carby” is an instant pop classic and an essential summer track.

• Check out "Carby" and "Orange Shirt" from Discovery on Lyrical Smelter

Discovery is out on CD and vinyl July 7.

An Hour in the Smelter DeeJay Mix

[Pic: Ideal Type, 2008]

For the last few summers, I've been fortunate to have enough time to sit down and meld together my favorite tracks into continuous mixes. This summer is no exception. Unlike my other mixes, however, I adopted a much slower, funkier, and dubbed out tempo until the finale. An Hour in the Smelter features several innovative producers, notably Burns, Trentemoller, D.I.M., and James Braun, that straddle the fine line between club hedonism and electronic music as a rhythmic art form. In the end, I simply couldn't resist the sonorous allure of Orbital and Grizzly Bear remixes, as well as an end of the night, hands in the air, floor destroying bootleg of Smashing Pumpkins.

Follow link to download a CD Quality mp3 from zShare:

Tee Anders Volpe - An Hour in the Smelter Summer 2009 Mix

Or stream the mix from SoundCloud here:
http://soundcloud.com/tvolpe/an-hour-in-the-smelter-2009

Tracklist

1. Please Don't Touch (The Golden Filter Dub mix) - Polly Scattergood
2. Lisztomania (Classixx Remix) - Phoenix
3. Kilometer (A-trak Dub Mix) - Sebastien Tellier
4. We Are The People (The Golden Filter vs. Burns Remix) - Empire Of The Sun
5. Give A Little (Trentemoller re-adjustment) - Caldwell, Andy
6. Weak Generation- Revolte
7. Sunglasses At Night (D.I.M. Remix)- Tiga & Zyntherius
8. Spanish Fly - James Braun
9. Yes Maam (Trentemoeller Remix) - Visti & Meyland
10. Donut - M.A.N.D.Y. and Booka Shade
11. Lick My Deck- Sebastian Ingrosso & John Dahlback
12. For Da Loverz (Nelsen Grover Remix) - Sharam Jey
13. Sunrise (Hey Champ Remix) - Yeasayer
14. Halycyon (Original vs. Tom Middleton Re-Model) - Orbital
15. Two Weeks (Fred Falke Remix) - Grizzly Bear
16. 1979 (Glow Tape!'s 2009 Remix) - Smashing Pumpkins
    

Remodeling Indie Rock

Considering our shared addiction to Calvin Harris and dope beats, I figured it worthwhile to share some of the tracks I dropped this week in my discussion on Lyrical Smelter about elitism and indie-rock. Nothing like a solid beat on the dance floor to bring people together.

• The Twelves - 5 Minute Minimix for BBC Radio One
• Radiohead - Reckoner (The Twelves Remix)
• The Ting Tings - Great DJ (Calvin Harris Remix)
• The Knife - We Share Our Mother's Health (Trentemoller Remix)
  
• The Klaxons - No Diggity (Blackstreet Cover)
  

commercial music

i heard this song on a bacardi commercial and i had no idea what it was, but i really liked it. i could not figure out what it was for the longest time, but finally stumbled across it (almost by accident), and immediately knew it was the song i had been looking for.

apparently matt and kim are a duo from brooklyn that are becoming fairly well know. check out their song daylight:

matt and kim - daylight

Nickodemus: The Perfect Compliment to Summer

As I was finishing up the second part of my East-West Summer Mixtape over at Lyrical Smelter, I came across an advance copy of the latest album from innovative world dance DeeJay and producer Nickodemus. Released on the ESL label (Theivery Corp, Mark Farina, People Under the Stairs...), this New Yorker fuses a bold blend of international beats (from Latin America to the Middle East) together with humid New York City sunshine. The perfect summer 2009 album. Check out his tracks and the entire Summer Mixtape below:

• The East-West Summer Mixtape (@ Lyrical Smelter)
• Nickodemus - N'Dini
• Nickodemus - Cleopatra in New York feat. Carol C (Zim Zam Mix)
  

Viva Argentina, Che!: Tranxgo

Most people know that Argentina's greatest contribution to the world of music is Tango. To this day you can wander around any of Buenos Aires' neighborhoods and find milongas, where people of all ages dance to the classic music. What has happened in recent years however is the world of electronic music that is also beloved by the Argentines, has been introduced and mixed with the old, traditional style. Mixing violins, bandoneon, piano and old vocal samples with hard drubbing, heavy-bass laced tracks produces an amazing, original sound. Three main groups that have taken this new genre (sometimes referred to as tranxgo), Bajofondo, Tanghetto and Gotan Project, have come out with countless amazing tracks. I was fortunate enough to see Bajofondo play live in a free festival to celebrate 200 years of independence in Argentina a few weeks ago, and goddamn, they are sick! Here are a few tracks to download, enjoy and let me know your thoughts!

Gotan Project-Santa Maria.mp3
Gotan Project-Epoca.mp3
Gotan Project-El Capitalismo.mp3
Gotan Project-Mi Confesion.mp3
Bajofondo Tango Club-Grand Guignol.mp3
Bajofondo Tango Club-Naranjo en Flor.mp3
Bajofondo Tango Club-Exodo II.mp3
Bajofondo Tango Club-Duro y Parejo.mp3
Tanghetto-Enjoy the Silence (Depeche Mode Tango Remix).mp3

calvin harris addiction

so there are two producers of electronic music that i am completely addicted to. one is of course mr eric prydz and the other is calvin harris. i am going to try and not bombard you with tracks from these artists to keep contributions originial, but here is a great calvin harris remix of a track from the hours...i just couldnt resist.

the hours - see the light (calvin harris vocal remix)

Throwback: Best of Zion I

Since I am such a huge fan of Zion I, I thought I would put together a "greatest hits" collection for those people out there that don't really listen to them or know about them. Not all of these tracks can be considered throwbacks just yet, but there are some definite classics.

Boom Bip.mp3
Flow.mp3
Sunshine Beats and Rhymez.mp3
Coastin feat. K.Flay.mp3
Trippin.mp3
Critical feat. Planet Asia.mp3
Silly Puddy feat. the Grouch.mp3
Birds Eye View.mp3
The Bay.mp3

so international

chico césar is a brazilian singer-songwriter. he doesn't have too many hits, but this to me is an instant classic. nothing over the top on this track, just a great overall song. enjoy.

http://www.box.net/shared/c6itpb1byc

a little early for the song of the summer

some of you have probably heard about la roux, the british duo consisting of a vocalist and one producer. they are definitely setting themselves up to have a big summer. there are been countless remixes of their tracks released, despite the fact that their full album has not even come out yet. this is a remix of their song quicksand that has been in constant rotation since i discovered it.

check it out

Devendra Banhart - Carmensita

Another great summer track, and another shout out to our friend Natalie Portman...great video and song!

East-West Summer Mixtape and Esoteric Video Roundup

I feel bad for Aaron down south. Up here in the north, the East and West coasts battle for supremacy over summer. California claims a dry and hot climate conducive to gangster pool parties, but DC and NYC rep dubbed out humid beats and long warm nights. In a two part mixtape on Lyrical Smelter, I bring together the best tracks to compliment summer on both coasts:

http://lyricalsmelter.blogspot.com/2009/06/east-west-summer-mixtape-part-i.html

Also, summer time means debauchery, which inevitably leads to bad decisions, such as making home music videos. Kid Bombardos are dope. You can download the track from the video, "I Around the Bend", here. As for Natalie Portman's Shaved Head, well, I don't even have words. But I do like Shamu (shout out to D. Cott for the vid).

It's becoming winter here...

but in the Northern Hemisphere, summer is quickly approaching. For all you lucky bastards enjoying those BBQ's, pool parties, and nights out in flip flops and T-shirts, these are the kind of feel-good tracks to keep on deck at all times.

Phoenix - If I Ever Feel Better .mp3
The Klaxons - Golden Skans .mp3
The Smiths - William, It Really Was Nothing .mp3
Mos Def feat. DJ Honda - Traveling Man .mp3

When Worlds Collide...

What do Argentina, Colombia, the United States, India, Macedonia, and Brazil have in common? They have all produced amazing electronic/loungy music. These next few tracks that I am introducing here are examples of how mixing modern, electronic rhythms and sounds, and those of traditional folk music can produce amazing music.

Federico Aubele - Postales .mp3 (ARGENTINA)
Federico Aubele - Contigo .mp3 (ARGENTINA)
Pacha Massive - Oye Mira .mp3 (COLOMBIA)
Thievery Corporation feat. Gunjan - Satyam Shivam Sundaram .mp3 - (US/INDIA)
Vanja`Lazarova - Stojne Bre Mome Kokansko .mp3 (MACEDONIA)
Zuco 103 - Outro Lado .mp3 (BRAZIL)
Bebel Gilberto - August Day Remix .mp3 (BRAZIL)

2 minimal GIANTS

It might seem like an oxymoron, but these minimal Producers/DJ's are GIANTS. Brazil's Gui Boratto, who I hadn't heard of until I saw him at Buenos Aires Creamfields, and Germany's Stephan Bodzin continue to amaze with simplicity. These two tracks, Mr. Decay and Vendetta, by Boratto and Bodzin respectively, are incredible. Even if minimal techno isn't your cup of tea, you have to respect anyone that can make an entire track using three to four different notes.
Albums:
Chromophobia by Gui Boratto
Liebe Ist... by Stephan Bodzin

Gui Boratto - Mr. Decay .mp3
Stephan Bodzin - Vendetta .mp3

Clyde Carson- Doin' That

It's not exactly a new song, but I was just re-introduced to it and for some reason have had it on pretty heavy rotation. The Team's Golden Boy, Clyde Carson teamed up with Sean Kingston (who I usually can't stand) for this track. Dude's voice is sick.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=WRI8IXWG

awdio.com

When traveling, what are the things you remember most? The food, the people you meet, the places you visit, and the nights out. Awdio.com is an amazing site that can let you relive the latter. With live feeds from hundreds of clubs around the world, you can be at home and pretend you are anywhere from Prague to Tel Aviv. It's a newish site so there are many more venues to be added, but the idea is incredible. Check it out!

http://www.awdio.com

Pryda All the Time

I heard this and had to spread it. It's a mix that my friend Lauren Canas put together of Pryda vs. Eddie Murphy's Party All the Time. I figure it's appropriate as we are all well versed on the PATT lifestyle. Download it here on Soundcloud:
http://soundcloud.com/lauren-andreas/pryda-all-the-time

an electro intro

over the past couple months calvin harris has consistently been putting out great tracks. his album i created disco (great name and cover, see above) never ceases to get me pumped up to drink more than i should and fall in love with some random babe on the dance floor.

this track is a deadmau5 remix of his new single i'm not alone. although i am not always the biggest deadmau5 fan, i think that this song does the "original" calvin harris version its justice while still adding a nice edge.

http://www.box.net/shared/ybv6xj1xx4

Making Babies

What would happen if Radiohead and R.E.M. hooked up in the 90's, had a baby, and then two decades later that child started a quartet in Brooklyn? Grizzly Bear, obviously!

http://lyricalsmelter.blogspot.com/2009/06/grizzly-bear-and-rem-forging-lyrical.html

• Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks (320 kps mp3)
  
• Grizzly Bear - Ready, Able

It's the Third of the Month and...

All along the Eastern seaboard, humidity beckons. Five songs to compliment the DC haze:

• Al Green - Here I Am
• The Crystalites - Concentration
• Polly Scattergood - Please Don't Touch (The Golden Filter Dub)
• Empire of the Sun - We are the People (Burns Remix)
• Bone Thugs - 1st of the Month

Madcon-Beggin Remix

This Adidas commercial has at its track probably the best song I've ever heard in an ad. Madcon did an amazing remix of Frankie Valie's "Beggin". The commercial is amazing too if you haven't seen it.

Throwback: Dilated Peoples "Worst Comes to Worst"

Although most of this blog will be devoted to spreading amazing new music that is coming out, we gotta keep the roots strong. This is the first "Throwback" track to be thrown onto Morninmeetin...Enjoy!

Expialodocious

Sweet track made of samples from Mary Poppins...

download it here:
http://rapidshare.com/files/237356184/Expialidocious.mp3

Mashup Monsters- Thehoodinternet

I always love a good mashup, don't you? Chicago's very own Thehoodinternet.com have absolutely mastered the art of making eclectic-ass tracks that sound GREAT. On their website you can download everything for free too, even the hour long mixtapes!! Go start downloading NOW!!!

http://thehoodinternet.com/

Gimena Bilbao-Free at Last Set

Living and working in the Buenos Aires nightlife scene has allowed me to meet some very talented and creative people. Gimena Bilbao is one of them. An amazing minimal techno DJ, I thought I'd plug her most recent set. You can download it here:
http://www.zshare.net/audio/585207267c6a2ea1/

The Grouch feat. Scarub and Bicasso - Hot Air Balloons

It's been a long, long time since I've listened to any of the Living Legends, but I recently came across this video and fell in love with it. Dope track.
get the track here